Linear motors are known in the prior art. Conventional linear motors generally comprise a mover that reciprocates through the field of a stator due to magnetic forces generated by energized coils in the stator. Normally the stator is stationary and drives the mover in an axial direction. However, it is possible to make the mover stationary and have the stator drive itself in an axial direction. Accordingly, the axial direction is the linear direction of movement for either the mover or stator, depending on which of them is to move in relation to the other. The stator conventionally includes at least one coil wound in at least one stator core. The stator coil may be a single winding connected to an electrical supply unit or a distributive winding. The purpose of the stator coils is to generate magnetic flux that interacts with permanent magnets on the mover. Thus, a conventional linear motor includes a generally cylindrical outer stator core, stator coils wound within the stator core, and an inner mover having permanent magnets and that moves linearly in an axial direction relative to the stator core so as to provide linear motion by means of interaction with the magnetic field of the stator.
Various stator assembly configurations are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,603,224, entitled “Linear Motor Stator Assembly Piece,” discloses a stator for a linear motor that is built by stacking module parts. U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,575, entitled “Method of Manufacturing a Stacked Stator Assembly for a Linear Motor,” discloses a method of manufacturing a stator from individual pieces assembled around a removable form. U.S. Pat. No. 7,378,763, entitled “Linear Motor,” discloses a stator core divided into two parts with each of the parts being made of a soft magnetic powder. U.S. Pat. No. 7,884,508, entitled “Linear Motor”, also discloses a stator core divided into two parts formed of a soft magnetic powder and a mover that has at least one section also formed of a soft magnetic material. U.S. Pat. No. 6,060,810, entitled “Stator for Linear Motor by Staggered Core Lamination,” discloses a stator for a linear motor formed from radially-extending laminates. Each of these U.S. patents is incorporated herein by reference.